Asia

[ey-zhuh, ey-shuh] /ˈeɪ ʒə, ˈeɪ ʃə/

noun

a continent bounded by Europe and the Arctic, Pacific, and Indian oceans. About 16,000,000 sq. mi. (41,440,000 sq. km).

Can be confused

Asia, East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia.

Examples from the web for Asia

Then the two of them slipped away with many of the nobility and embarked for Asia.
One ancient design, the fighter kite, became popular throughout Asia.
It still is traditional amongst certain nomadic peoples of central Asia.
Emilia narrates this tale, which probably originated in Asia.
Daikon refers to a wide variety of winter radishes from east Asia.
It has a small, loyal following in the west, although few play it in Asia.
The group is generally known as the old world rats or true rats, and originated in Asia.
Bandicoot rats are an important food source among some peoples in southeast Asia.
It is undoubtedly one of the great continental highroads of Asia.
Early cultivation the domestication of bananas took place in southeastern Asia.

British Dictionary definitions for Asia

Asia

/ˈeɪʃə; ˈeɪʒə/

noun

the largest of the continents, bordering on the Arctic Ocean, the Pacific Ocean, the Indian Ocean, and the Mediterranean and Red Seas in the west. It includes the large peninsulas of Asia Minor, India, Arabia, and Indochina and the island groups of Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Ceylon (Sri Lanka); contains the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush, Himalayas, Pamirs, Tian Shan, Urals, and Caucasus, the great plateaus of India, Iran, and Tibet, vast plains and deserts, and the valleys of many large rivers including the Mekong, Irrawaddy, Indus, Ganges, Tigris, and Euphrates. Pop: 3 917 508 000 (2005 est). Area: 44 391 162 sq km (17 139 445 sq miles)

Word Origin and History for Asia

c.1300, from Latin Asia, from Greek Asia, speculated to be from Akkadian asu "to go out, to rise," in reference to the sun, thus "the land of the sunrise."

Asia in Culture

Asia definition

World's largest continent, joined to Europe to the west, forming Eurasia.

Note: Site of some of the world's earliest civilizations.

Note: With three-fifths of the world's population, Asia has some of the world's greatest population densities.

Related Abbreviations for Asia

ASIA

American Spinal Injury Association

Asia in the Bible

is used to denote Proconsular Asia, a Roman province which embraced the western parts of Asia Minor, and of which Ephesus was the capital, in Acts 2:9; 6:9; 16:6; 19:10,22; 20:4, 16, 18, etc., and probably Asia Minor in Acts 19:26, 27; 21:27; 24:18; 27:2. Proconsular Asia contained the seven churches of the Apocalypse (Rev. 1:11). The "chiefs of Asia" (Acts 19:31) were certain wealthy citizens who were annually elected to preside over the games and religious festivals of the several cities to which they belonged. Some of these "Asiarchs" were Paul's friends.